Ever since Justin Trudeau was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Con media has been declaring that his political honeymoon is over.And in recent weeks with the confusion over electoral reform, and the controversial pipeline decision, that clamour has become almost deafening.With one story after the other declaring that his golden ride was finally . . . → Read More: Montreal Simon: The Con Media and Justin Trudeau’s Long Honeymoon

You might think that as a doctor Kellie Leitch would understand that most Canadians were still in shock the morning after Donald Trump's victory.Both shaken up and nauseous that such a bigot and a misogynist could have been elected president of the country next door.So you might think that Leitch would restrain herself, so . . . → Read More: Montreal Simon: Kellie Leitch and the Betrayal Of Our Canadian Values

I wasn’t planning to write another post about Kellie Leitch for a while, because I feel I’ve written enough about her to last me a lifetime.But then I saw the cover of the latest issue of Macleans and I changed my mind.Because although that picture is absolutely ridiculous, and has people howling with laughter all over the country. And wondering where did she get that flag pole from?Read more » . . . → Read More: Montreal Simon: Kellie Leitch’s Campaign Becomes Even More Absurd

Kellie Leitch has caused a great deal of controversy with her suggestion that we screen prospective immigrants for “Canadian values.” Actually, she’s touching a nerve which predates Confederation. Desmond Cole writes:

Many have criticized Leitch’s proposal by saying it is impractical, since no one person or group can define or determine Canadian values. That’s a nice idea, but in practice we know the values our politicians attempt to sell us are a reflection of our colonial, white, British, monarchical heritage. There are such things as Canadian values, and they explain how our politicians have been peddling a fear of foreigners for the last 150 years.

Suspicion of all immigrants who are not white, or are not members of the former British Empire, is a Canadian value. Canada’s founding prime minister, John A. Macdonald, argued that Chinese immigrants to Canada were unfit to vote because they exhibited “no British instincts or British feelings or aspirations.” Macdonald didn’t need to cloak the authority of the state in the language of wanting a “conversation” about immigrants, as Leitch does today. In his time, there was no conversation to be had.

That’s an inconvenient truth which we would much rather forget:

Of course, all of this is only possible because of another fundamental Canadian value: erasure. Our modern mythology suggests that indigenous people were never here, or that if they were, their values and customs gave way to a superior British way of life. Our history books and our educational resources for prospective new Canadians have little to say about the values and traditions of indigenous people. British colonialism made outsiders of people who had been here for thousands of years, and cast their values aside.

That’s how a white man in a red coat who carries a weapon and patrols stolen land has come to symbolize the enforcement of Canadian values. We are taught to honour the force Mounties used to Anglicize this land, to view the guy in red as a symbol of honour and patriotism, no matter what despicable crimes he carries out. The values of dominance and separation enforced by the modern RCMP, and the Canadian Border Services Agency, are not universal or self-evident — they are steeped in centuries of racism, colonialism, and white supremacy.

Leitch is not allowing us to forget our past. The question is, “Do we have the courage to confront it head on?

As we well know after enduring almost 10 years of darkness, sometimes the loudest and ugliest voices are the ones that command the most attention, thereby skewering our perceptions of reality. If the Harper government had been the true voice of Canada,… . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: The True Voice Of Canada

That is the title of a very interesting piece by Michael Valpy in today’s Star that is well-worth reading. His thesis offers something of a challenge to a post I put up the other day talking about the fact that our core values as Canadians managed to s… . . . → Read More: Politics and its Discontents: A Tale Of Two Canadas

I was originally going to take the day off from blogging, but then, after reading the editorial in today’s Star along with some letters reflecting what people would wish for Canada, I decided to briefly add my own thoughts.

I feel as though I’ve been wrenched from the light of the world and exiled to the heart of darkness. My friends, I just want to let you all know that we’ll not be able to stay as connected as … Continue reading →

At 12:01am on Wednesday, March 14, I started an indefinite hunger strike to demand that the Parliament of Canada immediately repeal the new Safe Streets and Communities Act (formerly omnibus crime Bill C-10). The Act …Read More

It’s Day 2 of my indefinite hunger strike to demand the repeal of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives’ draconian Safe Streets and Communities Act (Bill C-10). I started the peaceful protest at 12:01am …Read More

Starting at 12:01am today, I embarked on an indefinite hunger strike to demand that Canada’s new Safe Streets and Communities Act (omnibus crime Bill C-10) be immediately repealed. Earlier, I had appealed to the Governor …Read More